Final answer:
When inspecting a patient for airway issues, healthcare professionals look for signs like shortness of breath, wheezes or stridor, hoarseness, pain with swallowing, and cough. This helps diagnose conditions affecting breathing and determine appropriate management strategies.
Step-by-step explanation:
When inspecting a patient with possible airway issues, we look for signs like shortness of breath, wheezes or stridor, hoarseness, pain with swallowing, and cough. Evaluation may include checking for obstructions, assessing the risk of aspiration, and ensuring that functional equipment and assistance are available for managing the patient's airway.
These indicators help healthcare professionals diagnose conditions that may affect breathing, such as asthma, emphysema, sleep apnea, pneumonia, and other respiratory diseases. Tools like spirometry can also help detect decreases in lung capacity or a V/Q mismatch.